Vacuum actuated test fixtures, such as those in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,598,246 and 4,625,164, both incorporated herein by reference, are known for receiving electronic circuit devices to be tested, and for electrically interconnecting the received electronic circuit devices to automatic testing equipment.
The electronic circuit devices are received on a movable receiving face that is resiliently supported on coil springs fastened to a stationary board supporting plural probes electrically connected to the automatic testing equipment. The peripheral interface between the movable device receiving face and the stationary probe support board includes a vacuum-tight resilient hinge comprised of a resilient sheet material, to which the electornic circuit device receiving face is attached. The peripheral boundary of the resilient sheet material is held against the stationary probe support board against upstanding sideboards supported off the probe support board.
The retained resilient hinge interface is disadvantageous in several respects. It requires separate retainers and sideboards so that the construction is costly insofar as it requires multiple components that must be severally purchased and inventoried. The construction furthermore is expensive from a personnel point of view. It is necessary to adhere the resilient skirt to the device receiving face, and to retain it against the sideboards, which represents significant time and labor. In addition, the upstanding sideboard are supported on the probe board with a plurality of machine screws and require air-tight sealing after installation. Their structure must be disassembled to drill the probe plate, and then reassembled, required considerable time labor.